National Public Health Emergency Team (2020)

The National Public Health Emergency Team for COVID-19 (NPHET) (/ˈnɛfət/; Irish: Foireann Náisiúnta Éigeandála Sláinte Poiblí do COVID-19)[1] was a National Public Health Emergency Team within Ireland's Department of Health that oversaw and provided national direction, support, guidance and expert advice on developing and implementing a strategy to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Ireland.[2]

This NPHET was established on 27 January 2020 in order to deal with the emerging SARS-CoV-2 problem.[3] It was disbanded in February 2022 after the majority of COVID-19 restrictions were removed.[4] A new advisory group was established on 8 April 2022.[5]

Background

NPHET was monitoring the spread of the virus before it was confirmed to have reached Ireland.[6][7] When established in 2020, it initially had a medium-sized room in the Department of Health.[8] It then moved to a larger room as events developed.[8] Eventually, with the spread of the virus, the daily meetings were conducted remotely using Zoom.[8]

The first known case of COVID-19 to have arrived in Ireland was announced on 27 February 2020, in a woman who had been skiing in Northern Italy and had flown back through Dublin Airport, travelled by bus to Connolly station (Ireland's busiest railway station) before exiting into Northern Ireland by train; her case was confirmed two days later.[9] The first known case of COVID-19 in a resident of the Republic of Ireland was confirmed in the county of Dublin on 29 February 2020, in a secondary school student who had returned from an affected area in Northern Italy.[10][11]

NPHET continued to meet after the virus had arrived in Ireland to co-ordinate the national response to the pandemic.[12][13] The team was obliged to operate with an unusual degree of autonomy during the initial months of the pandemic, as the recent general election in February 2020 had left the outgoing government in only a caretaker role.[14]

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan chaired NPHET, with the support of six deputy chief medical officers. Meetings tended to start with an epidemiology report on the latest viral developments in Ireland.[8] Holohan asks for the perspectives of public health doctors.[8] Two letters were drafted at the end of each meeting, one for the Taoiseach and the other for the Minister for Health.[8] In addition, before each meeting, Holohan gave its agenda to the Minister for Health in a call and queried if the government had anything specific they wish to have discussed.[8] Holohan temporarily stepped down as chief medical officer on 2 July 2020 for family reasons;[15][16] Deputy Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn was subsequently appointed Acting Chief Medical Officer.[17] Holohan returned in October 2020.[18]

NPHET used press briefings to communicate updates, guidelines, statistics and policy changes to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.[19][20][21][22]

After it emerged that the agenda and meeting notes of NPHET had not been published since the end of March 2020, and following calls in Dáil Éireann for be rectified, minutes were subsequently published at the end of April.[23][24] Shortly before this, NPHET published details of its governance structure.[25][26]

Members

Members were from the Department of Health, HSE, HIQA, HPSC, ICGP and HPRA, as well as consultants, epidemiologists and the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group and the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group.[8][27] Three new members were appointed to the National Public Health Emergency Team on 6 January 2021.[28]

Member Role
Tony Holohan Chief Medical Officer, Chair of NPHET[27]
Ronan Glynn Deputy Chief Medical Officers of the Department of Health[27]
Heather Burns
Desmond Hickey
Eibhlin Connolly
Alan Smith
Colette Bonner
Paul Bolger Director of the Department of Health Resources Division[27]
Colm Bergin Consultant Infectious Diseases, St. James's Hospital and Professor of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin[27]
Tracey Conroy Acute Hospitals Division of the Department of Health[27]
John Cuddihy Interim Director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC)[27]
Cillian de Gascun Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, Chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group[27]
Colm Desmond Corporate Legislation, Mental Health, Drugs Policy and Food Safety Division of the Department of Health[27]
Colm Henry Chief Clinical Officer of the Health Service Executive (HSE)[27]
Lorraine Doherty National Clinical Director for Health Protection of the HPSC and HSE[27]
Mary Favier President of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP)[27]
Fergal Goodman Primary Care Division of the Department of Health[27]
Kevin Kelleher Assistant National Director of the HSE[27]
Marita Kinsella Director of the National Patient Safety Office at the Department of Health[27]
Kathleen Mac Lellan Social Care Division of the Department of Health[27]
Jeanette Mc Callion Medical Assessor of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)[27]
Tom McGuinness Assistant National Director at the Office of Emergency Planning at the HSE[27]
Siobhán Ní Bhrian Lead for Integrated Care of the HSE[27]
Philip Nolan President of Maynooth University[27]
Kate O'Flaherty Head of Health and Wellbeing at the Department of Health[27]
Darina O'Flanagan Special Advisor to NPHET and the Department of Health[27]
Siobhan O'Sullivan Chief Bioethics Officer of the Department of Health[27]
Michael Power National Clinical Lead, Critical Care Programme, HSE Consultant in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin[27]
Phelim Quinn Chief Executive Officer of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)[27]
Máirín Ryan Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health Technology Assessment of HIQA[27]
Breda Smyth Director of Public Health Medicine of the HSE[27]
Deirdre Watters Head of Communications of the Department of Health[27]
Liam Woods National Director of Acute Operations of the HSE[27]
David Walsh National Director of Community Operations of the HSE[27]
David Leach Deputy National Director of Communications of the HSE[27]
Mary Horgan President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland[28]
Karina Butler Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC)[28]
Fidelma Browne Head of Programmes and Campaigns, Communications of the HSE
Mark Ferguson Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Government Chief Scientific Advisor[28]

Subgroups

Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group

The Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group was a subgroup of NPHET.[29]

It was chaired by Cillian de Gascun, the UCD-based Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory.[30]

The Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group met for the first time on 5 February 2020 in Dublin.[31]

Acute Hospital Preparedness Subgroup

The Acute Hospital Preparedness Subgroup was formed on 3 March 2020 and met for the first time on 4 March 2020. It provided assurance on the preparedness of the acute hospital system to tackle significant increases in hospital admissions, and that plans for preparedness are being implemented across the public hospital system.[32]

It was chaired by Tracey Conroy, Assistant Secretary, Acute Hospitals Policy Division at the Department of Health.[27]

Behavioural Change Subgroup

The Behavioural Change Subgroup was formed on 18 March and was made up of nine members.[27] It was set up to provide insights and evidence to support the communications strategy and the wider work of NPHET.[33]

It was chaired by Kate O'Flaherty, Head of Health and Wellbeing at the Department of Health.[27]

Guidance and Evidence Synthesis Subgroup

The Guidance and Evidence Synthesis Subgroup was formed to facilitate information exchange on the public health and clinical guidance relating to COVID-19. The subgroup provided assurance to NPHET on coordination of surge evidence synthesis capacity to support the development of guidance.[34]

It was chaired by Máirín Ryan, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health Technology Assessment at HIQA.[27]

Modelling group

Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group

The Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group (IEMAG) was a modelling group of NPHET[27] formed on 11 March 2020 to provide statistical support and advice to NPHET and the Chief Medical Officer.[35] Staff at University College Dublin, University of Limerick and other mathematical researchers in Ireland were involved in developing mathematical models for stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.[36]

It was chaired by Philip Nolan, the former president of Maynooth University.[37][38]

Disbandment

Following speculation that NPHET would be disbanded from mid-October 2021,[39] Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that the team would cease to exist as a separate body over time and that their role and the COVID-19 vaccination taskforce would be transitioned into the normal functions of the Department of Health and the HSE, after the Government published a plan for easing most COVID-19 restrictions by 22 October.[40] As a result of rising COVID-19 cases due to a fifth wave of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant, and after almost all restrictions were eased eventually in early January 2022, there were no plans for NPHET to be disbanded.[41]

On 17 February 2022, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan proposed in a letter to the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly that the NPHET be disbanded and replaced with a smaller monitoring group.[42] It was confirmed on 22 February that the NPHET would be disbanded, but the Office of the Chief Medical Officer would continue to monitor the epidemiological profile of COVID-19.[4]

A new COVID-19 advisory group was established on 8 April 2022.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Ráiteas ón bhFoireann Náisiúnta Éigeandála Sláinte Poiblí - Dé Céadaoin an 8 Iúil 2020". www.gov.ie. 8 July 2020.
  2. Quann, Jack (13 February 2020). "European health ministers meet to discuss coronavirus". Newstalk. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  3. Boland, Rosita (3 April 2020). "Covid-19 jargon buster: What are 'the curve', R0 and the NPHET?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  4. Lehane, Micheál (22 February 2022). "Govt agrees to end almost all Covid measures". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  5. "Minister reveals members of new Covid-19 advisory group". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  6. "NPHET monitoring of coronavirus outbreak continues, no confirmed Irish cases". The Echo. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  7. Quann, Jack (31 January 2020). "Emergency team to monitor coronavirus as outbreak declared 'public health emergency'". Newstalk. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  8. Ryan, Philip (5 April 2020). "Inside the all-powerful coronavirus taskforce - Ireland's decision-makers in a crisis: Our new rulers during this health crisis are a crack team of doctors, scientists and senior civil servants". Sunday Independent. p. 12.
  9. "First Northern Ireland coronavirus case confirmed as 'drive-through' test centre set up at Antrim hospital". Belfast Telegraph. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  10. Libreri, Samantha (1 March 2020). "School to close for 14 days as precaution over virus". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
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  12. "NPHET 'concerned' with number of nursing home clusters". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  13. "National Public Health Emergency Team considers testing and current public restrictions". Irish Examiner. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  14. Cullen, Paul (19 February 2020). "Nphet lacked diversity but historical verdict is likely to be favourable". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  15. "Holohan 'taking time out' from role over wife's illness". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  16. Daly, Adam (2 July 2020). "Dr Tony Holohan to step away from work as Chief Medical Officer for family reasons". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  17. Bowers, Fergal (1 October 2020). "Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan to return to work on Monday". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  18. Leahy, Pat (1 October 2020). "Dr Tony Holohan expected to return to his post next week". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  19. Quann, Jack (15 March 2020). "COVID-19: 40 new confirmed cases in Ireland". Newstalk. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  20. Quann, Jack (25 March 2020). "Over 230 new coronavirus cases in Ireland". Newstalk. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
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  22. Quann, Jack (2 April 2020). "COVID-19: Median age of Irish patients who die reaches 82". Newstalk. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  23. Cunningham, Paul (30 April 2020). "Dept of Health publishes further minutes of NPHET meetings". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  24. "Minutes and Agendas from meetings of the National Public Health Emergency Team: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)". 30 April 2020.
  25. Murphy, David (29 April 2020). "Dept publishes details of NPHET governance structure". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  26. "National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) for COVID-19: Governance Structures". 28 April 2020.
  27. Thomas, Cónal (29 April 2020). "Who sits on the National Public Health Emergency Team and what do they do?". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  28. Horgan-Jones, Jack (6 January 2021). "Nphet gets three new members to boost infectious disease, scientific resources". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  29. "Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team". MerrionStreet.ie. 7 February 2020.
  30. Costello, Emma (4 March 2020). "Coronavirus in Ireland still an evolving situation, says expert". Extra.ie. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  31. "Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - First meeting of the Expert Advisory Group takes place". www.gov.ie. 5 February 2020.
  32. "National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) COVID-19 Subgroup: Acute Hospital Preparedness". gov.ie. Department of Health. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  33. "National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) COVID-19 Subgroup: Behavioural Change". gov.ie. Department of Health. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  34. "National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) COVID-19 Subgroup: Guidance and Evidence Synthesis". gov.ie. Department of Health. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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  36. "Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group to NPHET". University College Dublin. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  37. "Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, explains the measures to #FlattenTheCurve #Covid19 #Coronavirus". 30 March 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020 – via Facebook.
  38. "Philip Nolan - Maynooth University". Maynooth University. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  39. Sheahan, Fionnán; Gataveckaite, Gabija (28 August 2021). "Nphet to disband in October as employees expected to return to office from September". Irish Independent. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  40. "Taoiseach: NPHET will cease to exist as a separate body". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  41. McNally, Tadgh (23 January 2022). "No current plans for NPHET to be disbanded, says Donnelly". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  42. Bowers, Fergal (17 February 2022). "NPHET recommends requirement to wear face masks in most areas should end". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
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